Surplus munitions present a problem to the US military. Current budget constraints force the US military to prioritize its spending while effectively defending the interests of the United States. Defense budgets are further tightened because aging and surplus munitions must be guarded and stored. The US military regularly destroys a significant amount of its surplus munitions each year in order to meet its fiscal challenge. It also destroys a significant amount of munitions each year due to deterioration or obsolescence.
In the past, munitions stocks have been disposed of by open burn/open detonation (OBOD) methods—the most inexpensive and technologically simple disposal methods available. Although such methods can effectively destroy munitions, they fail to meet the challenge of minimizing waste by-products in a cost effective manner. Furthermore, such methods of disposal are undesirable from an environmental point of view because they contribute to the pollution of the environment. For example, OBOD technology produces relatively high levels of NOx, acidic gases, particulates, and metal waste. Incomplete combustion products can also leach into the soil and contaminate ground water from the burning pits used for open burn methods. The surrounding soil and ground water must often be remediated after OBOD to meet environmental guidelines. Conventional incineration methods can also be used to destroy munitions, but they require a relatively large amount of fuel. They also produce a significant amount of gaseous effluent that must be treated to remove undesirable components before it can be released into the atmosphere. Thus, OBOD and incineration methods for disposing of munitions become impractical owing to increasingly stringent federal and state environmental protection regulations. Further, today's even stricter environmental regulations require that new munitions and weapon system designs incorporate demilitarization processing techniques. Increasingly stringent EPA regulations will not allow the use of OBOD or excessive incineration techniques, so new technologies must be developed to meet the new guidelines.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,363,603 and 5,737,709 teach the use of a fluid jet technology for cutting explosive shells and removing the explosive material. Various fluids can be used, including water and solvents in which the explosive material is soluble. The fluid jet can also carry an abrasive component to enhance the rate of cutting. These patents do not suggest the simultaneous removal of the fuse and explosive material of two or more explosive munitions and the recovery of abrasive material used in the fluid jet.
Further, conventional explosive removal processes require that the munition, or shell, first be defused. Current fuse removal techniques are either too costly or unsafe. For example, personnel must often remove the fuse by hand at great personal risk. A remote-controlled robot is sometimes used to defuse munitions, but are costly given the percentage of munitions that explode during defuzing.
While some of the above methods have met with varying degrees of success, there still remains a need in the art for improved methods and apparatus for demilitarizing explosive shells in an environmentally, efficient and safe manner.